An unemployed couple who scooped more than £1.6m on the National Lottery after being down to their last £10 are today planning their first holiday together.

Bet Howard, 48, and husband Dave, 46, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, had only a few pounds left to last them until their next benefit cheque arrived a week later when they realised they had hit the jackpot.

"I didn't know what to do. It was like a thunderbolt had hit us. I just sat there stunned," said Mrs Howard.

She and her husband, who was forced to give up work as a firefighter ten years ago because of a back problem, got together 15 years ago and were married last year - but have never been able to afford a holiday.

At a press conference yesterday, she admitted they had been living a "hand to mouth" existence and had been unable to splash out on any luxuries.

They are now planning to spend part of their £1,653,375 fortune on a trip to Dubai to visit Mrs Howard's brother and to enjoy a belated honeymoon - but first they must send off for passports.

They also plan to invest in a new car and to move out of their council house and into a luxury new home.

The couple were watching television last Thursday when they decided to check the previous night's winning numbers.

"I saw the numbers and knew straight away that I had won £10 but I kept looking at the screen and saw more numbers I recognised," said Mrs Howard. "It was then that I screamed to Dave to check my ticket.

"He thought I was joking but he looked at the ticket and said 'you've got six'."

Mr and Mrs Howard were so unsure they were about to become millionaires that they went to the shop where they bought the ticket to double-check the numbers.

"It's all a bit of a blur really. We were just so surprised.

"You read about ordinary people winning, but I never thought we were those ordinary people," she said.

The couple, who were both born in Whitby, have three grown-up children between them, Sarah, 24, Kerry, 21, and David, 21.

The winning numbers were 6, 11, 19, 23, 25 and 28.